Bob Shuler will compete in six iron distance triathlons on six continents in 2014 in an attempt to set a Guinness World Record and spark global interest in his cause: raising $10,000 for Well Aware, the Austin-based nonprofit that develops clean water systems in impoverished communities in rural Kenya.

An iron distance triathlon consists of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride, and 26.2-mile run. According to Shuler, this challenge does not compare to those faced by women in east Africa, who collectively spend an estimated 200 million hours per day retrieving water.

The 58-year-old completed his first race in Florida earlier this month, and will travel to Australia in March for his second race. Two weeks later, Shuler expects to be in South Africa, then Taiwan, then Spain, and finally Brazil.

During the final running portion of each race, Shuler carries a jerry can with him to raise awareness and as a symbol of the millions of hours spent collecting water by people in parts of Africa.